Backing up your observations

Knightware recommends that you backup your observing log periodically and before applying a software update to Deep-Sky Planner.  You should also compact your database periodically (Options | Compact Database) to improve program performance and minimize the amount of disk space required by the database.

Why backup?
Deep-Sky Planner uses a database to store catalog data and user data - both your observing log and observing locations.  When you make changes to locations using the Location Manager, or add equipment and/or observations to the observing log, you are changing the database.   Although Deep-Sky Planner has extensive error handling and transaction control in its handling of the database, problems can occur resulting in a corrupted file.  Keeping a backup is a safeguard against losing this data.

Backup Method 1
The easiest way to back up your database is to make a copy of it and save it to an external storage device - perhaps an external hard drive or flash drive.  The database is usually found at C:\My Documents\My DSP4 Files\Database\Dsp.mdb .  This method requires over 55 MB of storage space.

Backup Method 2
A more compact way to back up your observing log is to use Export Observations in the Observing Project Manager.  The exported file(s) should be saved to an external storage device.